Unprecedented Space Test: Astronauts to Try New Spaceship Docking System

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HOUSTON — Astronauts on NASA's shuttle Endeavour will perform an
unprecedented maneuver at the International Space Station
overnight Sunday (May 29), when they undock from the outpost,
then return again to try out a new docking system.

Endeavour is due to undock from the space station Sunday night at
11:55 p.m. EDT (0355 May 30 GMT) after nearly two weeks visiting
the orbiting lab. It's
Endeavour's final flight before being retired along with the
rest of NASA's shuttle fleet this year, so the space agency has
added a twist to its orbital departure.

Once the shuttle undocks tonight, its commander Mark Kelly and
pilot Greg H. Johnson will try something new: They'll fly
Endeavour around the space station twice in an intricate test of
advanced sensor technologies designed to make it easier for
future spaceships to dock at the orbital outpost. [ Video:
Endeavour to Ride Laser STORRM ]

The Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk Mitigation,
which NASA calls STORRM for short, will test a new docking camera
and navigation system specifically designed for rendezvous and
docking operations on next-generation U.S. spacecraft.

"Rendezvous and docking — whether we do it in low-Earth orbit or
out in exo-LEO, which is lunar or Mars — will require some kind
of rendezvous and docking, whether robotic or with crewed
missions," Howard Hu, system performance and analysis manager at
NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, told reporters on Friday
(May 27) at Lockheed Martin's Exploration Development Lab. "That
component requires a good navigation sensor, and that is what
STORRM is all about. We're testing a navigation sensor
capability." [ Amazing
Spacewalk Photos by Endeavour Astronauts ]

STORRM uses advanced laser-based sensor technology and
high-definition imagery to detect the distance to objects from as
far away as 3 miles (5 kilometers) or as close as 5 feet (about 2
meters).

Hu and his team are developing STORRM's capabilities for use with
NASA's newly announced
Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), a spacecraft being built
for deep space exploration.

The MPCV capsule is based on designs originally planned for the
Orion spacecraft, which was part of NASA's scrapped Constellation
program, which aimed to return astronauts to the moon by the
2020s. [ Photos:
NASA's Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle ]

After Endeavour physically separates and backs away from the
station, the shuttle will fly around the outpost at a distance of
about 600 feet (183 meters) as the STORRM sensors collect data
and images. This maneuver is scheduled to begin at around 12:22
a.m. EDT (0422 GMT).

The orbiter will then make a second loop around the space station
from a distance of about 1,000 feet (305 meters), before
completing a "re-rendezvous" with the station at a trajectory
that would match the flight plan for the MPCV/Orion capsule,
which comes in at a different angle than the shuttle. Endeavour's
closest re-approach to the station is expected to be at 3:28 a.m.
EDT (0728 GMT).

After Endeavour completes the STORRM rendezvous maneuver, the
shuttle will resume regular separation procedures to prepare for
its scheduled landing on June 1.

Technology for the future

In addition to being used for the MPCV, STORRM is also part of
the proposed navigation system for
NASA's sample-return mission to an asteroid, slated to launch
in 2016. That mission, called OSIRIS-Rex, will arrive at an
asteroid called 1999 RQ36 in 2020.

If the undocking tests during Endeavour's STS-134 mission are
successful, and if STORRM is selected as part of the
instrumentation for the
OSIRIS-Rex mission, the laser-based sensor technologies could
help the unmanned spacecraft navigate to, and arrive at, its
target space rock, NASA officials said.

During its initial flight test, the STORRM team is hoping to
gather data on the accuracy of the optical sensing tools that
will allow them to build up an imagery database to help refine
the technologies in the prototype system installed on Endeavour.

"The best way to reduce risk is to test in the space environment,
and test in a relevant environment, and the best relevant
environment we have is the International Space Station," Hu said.
"And, of course, the space shuttle is a great test bed for us."